Preparing Post-Sanctions Investment and Trade
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ORGANIZER: Preparing post-sanctions investment and trade September 24-25, 2015, Grand Hotel Kempinski, Geneva, Switzerland KNOWLEDGE PARTNER: PREMIUM SPONSOR: SPONSORS: IN CONSULTATION WITH: SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS: COMMUNICATION PARTNERS: www.europeiranforum.com The 2nd Europe-Iran Forum 1 Table of contents 2. Welcome letter 3. Administrative notes 4. OFAC Regulations 7. Speakers’ biographies 29. Our sponsors BHB Emissary’s mission Strictly within the parameters of existing sanctions regulations, BHB Emissary is working to help “set the stage” for Iran’s re-entry into global markets for goods, services, and capital. Following years of economic isolation, Iran is poised for a new phase of growth and development as one of the world’s last untapped markets. Companies seeking to engage Iran must navigate a complex environment with particular challenges for corporate communications, legal compliance, strategy formulation, and relationship building. By focusing on the concept of Business Diplomacy, BHB Emissary seeks to help Iranian and multinational firms to identify and achieve their business development goals. Business diplomacy also entails a commitment to corporate social responsibility and corporate citizenship– attributes BHB Emissary encourages in Iran’s private sector. September 24th & 25th 2015 © 2015 The 2nd Europe-Iran Forum 2 WELCOME TO BHB EMISSARY’S Second Europe-Iran Forum Dear Colleague, When we began planning the 1st Europe-Iran Forum in the summer of 2013, there was immense uncertainly around Iran’s political and economic future. The election of President Rouhani and the beginning of a new dialogue with the P5+1 countries, offered great hope that a new era of growth and development was on the way. As it turns out, the deal that was supposed to be agreed in July 2014 was finally delivered in July 2015. The negotiations were so complex and so critical to the trajectories of the countries involved, that a further year was needed to ensure a robust agreement could be reached. As such, the 1st Europe-Iran Forum, which took place in London in October 2014, was delivered during an “extension” in the negotiations. Uncertainties remained. Today the circumstances are different. By the time you will be reading this letter, the robust JCPOA agreement will have survived an acrimonious debate in the US Congress. Hope is being replaced by expectation, which will in turn be replaced by reality. The 1st Europe-Iran Forum helped build expectations around Iran’s growth and development, particularly in the private sector. The 2nd Forum is designed to explore the realities—both encouraging and troubling—of Iran’s impending economic shift. Ultimately, organizing a conference is a humble intervention in the bigger story of post-sanctions Iran. But the difficulty should not be underestimated. On this note, I would like to thank our sponsors and supporting organizations for their commitment to the Europe-Iran Forum conference series. As you partake in the Forum, I urge you to take note of a simple fact. Within the network of attendees you will find some friends and colleagues. You will find some competitors. You will meet people you admire and people whose approach you question. All of these people, regardless of the category in which they fall, are your assets. I firmly believe that success and longevity of Iran’s economic resurgence will depend on the network of people who are envisioning and operating the new commercial environment. Whether it is through cooperation or competition, whether within Iran or reaching across borders, it is the relationships between people that will determine whether Iran becomes a world-leading economy. Thank you for your participation in this event. BHB Emissary remains a resource for you. With Gratitude, Esfandyar Batmanghelidj Organizing Partner Europe-Iran Forum September 24th & 25th 2015 © 2015 The 2nd Europe-Iran Forum 3 Administrative notes Feedback form We would very much like to hear your thoughts about this event. Please complete the feedback form in this delegate book and hand it to any of the members of staff. We truly value your comments for future events. Thank you. Presentations If requested, speakers’ presentations may be e-mailed after the conference; please leave your email address with a member of the staff. Security Please do not leave briefcases, packages or other personal belongings unattended at any time. BHB Emissary doesn’t accept responsibility for any valuables or written notes left in the conference room or registration area. Due to heightened security, badges must be worn at all times. In the event of an emergency, please follow instructions from the staff and venue security personnel. Smoking Please note that smoking is NOT permitted inside the Grand Hotel Kempinski. Mobile phones Please ensure that your mobile phone is SWITCHED OFF during the main conference sessions. Photography and filming There will be photography and/or filming at this event and your image may be captured by us and used for our business and promotional purposes in printed publications, videos and/or on our website. By registering for the event you are giving us your permission to use your image in this way. If you have any queries about this, however, please e-mail [email protected]. Our supporting organizations: In consultation with: Our media partners: September 24th & 25th 2015 © 2015 The 2nd Europe-Iran Forum 4 A Proven Formula for Sanctions Compliance : The successful delivery of The 1st Europe-Iran Forum in October 2014 serves as a proof of concept for the compliance of the 2nd Europe- Iran Forum. This sanctions compliant Iran business conference is dedicated to the open exchange of information derived from the personal experiences of expert speakers. The event organizers, BHB Emissary, and its partners take sanctions regulations seriously, and have pursued all reasonable measures to ensure an environment of compliance for sponsors, speakers, and attendees. This includes the consultation of legal counsel in the United States and Europe and communication with the relevant authorities. The US Treasury Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) regulations that govern this event are reproduced below. We encourage you to take a look. US OFAC Sanctions regulations that apply to the event: • §560.208 Prohibited facilitation by United States persons of transactions by foreign persons. Except as otherwise authorized pursuant to this part, and notwithstanding any contract entered into or any license or permit granted prior to May 7, 1995, no United States person, wherever located, may approve, finance, facilitate, or guarantee any transaction by a foreign person where the transaction by that foreign person would be prohibited by this part if performed by a United States person or within the United States. • §560.417 Facilitation; change of policies and procedures; referral of business opportunities offshore. With respect to §560.208, a prohibited facilitation or approval of a transaction by a foreign person occurs, among other instances, when a United States person: (a) Alters its operating policies or procedures, or those of a foreign affiliate, to permit a foreign affiliate to accept or perform a specific contract, engagement or transaction involving Iran or the Government of Iran without the approval of the United States person, where such transaction previously required approval by the United States person and such transaction by the foreign affiliate would be prohibited by this part if performed directly by a United States person or from the United States; (b) Refers to a foreign person purchase orders, requests for bids, or similar business opportunities involving Iran or the Government of Iran to which the United States person could not directly respond as a result of the prohibitions contained in this part; or (c) Changes the operating policies and procedures of a particular affiliate with the specific purpose of facilitating transactions that would be prohibited by this part if performed by a United States person or from the United States. • §560.204 Prohibited exportation, reexportation, sale, or supply of goods, technology, or services to Iran. Except as otherwise authorized pursuant to this part, and notwithstanding any contract entered into or any license or permit granted prior to May 7, 1995, the exportation, reexportation, sale, or supply, directly or indirectly, from the United States, or by a United States person, wherever located, of any September 24th & 25th 2015 © 2015 The 2nd Europe-Iran Forum 5 goods, technology, or services to Iran or the Government of Iran is prohibited, including the exportation, reexportation, sale, or supply of any goods technology, or services to a person in a third country undertaken with knowledge or reason to know that: (a) Such goods, technology, or services are intended specifically for supply, transshipment, or reexportation, directly or indirectly, to Iran or the Government of Iran; or (b) Such goods, technology, or services are intended specifically for use in the production of, for commingling with, or for incorporation into goods, technology, or services to be directly or indirectly supplied, transshipped, or reexported exclusively or predominantly to Iran or the Government of Iran. • §560.410 Provision of services. (a) The prohibition on the exportation, reexportation, sale or supply of services contained in §560.204 applies to services performed on behalf of a person in Iran or the Government of Iran or where the benefit of such services